Category Archives: UPDATE

The Non Travellin’ Band – ‘Never Prayed Once’ CS $5
With a fire in their belly and a fist in the air, The Non Travellin’ Band of Madison, Wisconsin unleash their debut recordings as Never Prayed Once. Recorded live, the band evokes a classic American-bred psychedelia; the kind of tattered flags, discarded joints and El Caminos. Held together by the three minds of Lue, Brother Joseph and Dead Luke, the songs consist of stomping drums, ragged vocals, fuzzed-out grooves and explosive solos. The Non Travellin’ Band are as effortlessly infectious as they are daring, volatile, conscious and free. Never Prayed Once has shown us the light, and by god, is it beautiful. Ed. of 150

Erros Mágicos – ‘Shambhala’ CS $5
Shambhala, the debut release from Erros Mágicos has been underway since 2011 & since that time this side project to Magic Castles has mutated and morphed into an endlessly radiant pop soundscape. Songwriter Jason Edmonds, infused with a collaborative spirit, brings together the creative forces of eight revolving musicians to form their jangling, jungle-pop sound. Decidedly a suite of coalesced forms, the tunes here are comprised of guitar, bass, synth/keyboards, all manners of percussion, flute, four voices & a myriad of field recordings. As told by them, this collection came into being from “open minds, spare times, mild-depression, friends & Casio keyboards” & here at Moon Glyph we couldn’t be more thrilled to pass their journey to Shambhala, the city under the mountains, along to you. Ed. of 150

Beat Detectives – ‘Casual Encounters of the Third Kind’ CS $5
Venturing into Beat Detectives’ bizarro-verse is disorienting. Comprised of 4-track home recordings, the Minneapolis/New York-trio play outsider chopped and screwed dance hits from an imagined, weirdo urban radio station floating in the ether. Their vision can be confounding and kaleidoscopic, to be sure, crafted in a looping process of tape recording, slowing, and overdubbing. The result leaves you with a hazy club drip, newly opened third eye, and an appreciation for smooth jazz. Drawing on members of Food Pyramid and Radical Cemetery, they’ve donned this cassette Casual Encounters of the Third Kind establishing their (high) art aesthetic of “less Ibiza, more Nissan Ultima.” Ed. of 150

FWY! – ‘Any Exit’ CS $5
Returning from last year’s gorgeous San Clemente release is FWY!’s next slowmo coastal drift, Any Exit. Pushing his minimalist palette, San Francisco’s Edmund Xavier crafts with drum machines, aqueous soft-synths, submerged bass lines & endlessly bright melodies. As a transient passenger, we watch Any Exit bloom with understated movements and intoxicating grooves; complemented by Xavier’s organic aesthetic and laid-back composition (both visually and aurally). On this more diverse affair, Xavier is equally comfortable with the bass-lead dynamism of “Exit Downtown” and the ambient fallout of “Irvine’s” sublime latter half. On Moon Glyph’s fifty-fourth release, we present FWY!’s singular trajectory and his most expansive vistas yet on Any Exit. Ed. of 150.

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Lali Barrière, Noish and Xedh – ‘icgs el’ CDr
Two long form pieces of amplified objects, electronics, and computer from Lali Barrière, Noish and Xedh. Lali Barrière is active in the scene of free improvisation in Barcelona. She works with acoustic and amplified objects, electronic devices, field recordings and computer programming. Noish is the moniker of experimental programmer and musician Oscar Martin. He bases his work on the deconstruction of field recordings, non-conventional synthesis and the creative use of technological errors. Miguel A. García (aka Xedh) from the Basque country, is one of the most dynamic sound artists in the Spanish scene. His work focuses mainly on composition and electro-acoustic improvisation. He uses sounds taken from electronic residue, often interrelated with field recordings or acoustic instruments, in the search of an intimate, intense and immersive experience. Professionally printed sleeves and discs featuring macrophotography of minerals by A. Lighfoot. Edition of 50

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Roomrunner – ‘Ideal Cities’
We started Fan Death Records back in 2009, and ever since, we’ve seen two common tropes frequently pop up courtesy of a specific type of rock critic: the flustered search for an answer to “whatever happened to ROCK MUSIC?” and bold proclamations that “rock music is BACK!” The truth is, few live experiences compete with seeing a great, LOUD rock band, and Roomrunner’s chunky riffs, soaring hooks, and back-to-basics-get-in-the-van attitude just about make them an anomaly in 2013. On their debut full-length, Ideal Cities, Roomrunner refract the past 25 years’ worth of Guitar Rock innovations into their fully-realized vision of “chunch and bunge,” in which echoes of shoegaze noise-blur, grunge squall and snark, math-rock chops, and meaty Alternative Rock power moves coalesce into the essential guitar record of 2013. Recorded by bassist Dan Frome at his studio, Ideal Cities is the first Roomrunner offering recorded as a full band. Prior EPs, the self-titled Roomrunner (2011) and Super Vague (2012), were written and played by Roomrunner singer/guitarist Denny Bowen, and while landmarks in their own right, the full-band Roomrunner is a whole different animal, ready to come down there and kick their collective boots around. The record starts off fullbore, with the truTV-inspired anthem “Bait Car”. Their rhythmic pedigree is showcased on tracks like the stuttering “Wojtek,” where start-stop verses and propulsive drumming recall 90s titans like Helmet and Drive Like Jehu before the song collapses into one of their most melodic moments yet during the chorus. Side B starts with the one-two punch of “Weird” and “Duno,” two long-time staples of their live set driven by squealing feedback, which spark mosh pits and crowd-surfing in sweaty Baltimore warehouses. Tracks like “May” and “Snac Error” give a bit of breathing room, fusing the off-kilter guitar work of Polvo and Chavez, with the quiet-loud tension of 90s legends like Slint and Hum. The names they garner comparisons to may be heavy, but Roomrunner’s catalog thus far has definitively proven that they are no mere pastiche. Any dorks can make a record with a deep understanding of Loud Rock—and let’s be honest, a lot of them do—but on Ideal Cities, Roomrunner harnesses a discrete range of powers to forge a thrilling and vital path forward.

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‘Modern Duets‘ flexi disc
In an effort to transcend the stale tradition of location- and genre-based compilations, here is a Flexi Disc collection of one-minute instrumentals inspired by famous Modern sculptural busts. The pairings here are hilariously appropriate: Control Unit (Italy) blast open Jean-Pierre Dantan’s bust Victor Hugo. Hugo being, of course, the great Romantic noise band of the 1830s notable for works of industrial disaffection. Sea Urchin (Germany) evoke Amadeo Modigliani’s Primitivist La Saggezza with a wobbly dub-inflected burner. Modigliani, an important champion of early Dancehall. Half High (Australia) project dark ambient Surrealism on Elie Nadelman’s Head With Bowler Hat. Soviet Pop (China) play minimal electronics against a sharp, plaster study by Constantin Brancusi. Primitive Motion (Australia) yoke Jean Arp’s Bird Mancaricature with a playful Casio doodle. The Disc is bound into a booklet with reproductions of said sculptures. Includes a DOWNLOAD code.

Chicklette – ‘THE LONELIEST BITCH’ $6
Recorded to 4-track at Tong-Yi Studios. Keyboards, radio, karaoke. Six tracks of industrial love here. Chicklette sings for Angels in America. She sees personal trauma where I see vanilla ice cream and sprinkles. Lana Del Rey and Katy Perry become agents of dark fantasy and self-flagellation. Hello Kitty, an emblem of humiliation and disgust. Chicklette’s not upset, though. She talked about splashing in the local pool between cuts, feeding her fish Rex, eating popcorn. There’s no willful fuckedupness here. She’s just soundproofing the basement with oilies.

SON OF SALAMI – ‘SONTAVA NIGHTS’ $6
Recorded to tape in Vermont. Musical instruments, internal microphones, American snack satire. Son of Salami aka Joey Pizza Slice makes radio-pop singles on slim line tape players. Sontava Nights is like an old bag of Cheetos: crusty, bite-sized, miscellaneous, and oddly palatable. Son of Salami records songs like he eats said snacks: quickly, reclining, alone, and with the flicker of habitual regret. This isn’t some marchy, robotic jingle. J.P. Slice is an American songsmith of great sensuousness. The renditions are sultry, even moody. “Poutine Skies,” a wistful account of some greasy diner crap. Not unlike 711, there seems to be something for everybody.

BANANA HEAD – ‘GOON HOUSE’ $6
Recorded sitting down at Steve’s House. Sad tremolos, romantic refrains, sexual deviancy. Originally released on Lexi Disques in Brussels. Goon House offers midtempo crush joints for suburban daters. But the positive vibes are offset by flashes of melancholy, lewd whispers, gloomy intrigue. “I made you a promise,” says Banana Head, “and I broke it.”

YONG YONG – ‘MEET LORD PRINCE ‘I’ INFINITO’ $6
Yong Yong tap into some “Torraye Braggs shit.” Downtempo signals, ghetto tech jibber, skull caps under knit beanies, hacky sack. A kind of pan-ethnic cooking analogy comes to mind: a plume of brown spices, melodies like foreign legumes. Fire up Dr. Sammy Sample and reappropriate whatever, basically. Smoothness is definitely not a priority – don’t save this for your BeatsByDre. I use cellphone speakers and let the bass snap like a baby carrot. B-side trades in ADD groove splicing for an extended trip. Less cut-and-paste here; more long-form four the floor. Things melting into other things. For the dancefloor in your day spa.

HARMONY MOLINA – ‘HAPPINESS THIEF INSIDE’ $6
Recorded to Tascam 4-track and to computer in Hasenheide Park and Elsenstr. 74, Berlin. Second floor, ring “carlos”. Guitar, singing, talking. Harmony Molina, Chilean reality star, poolside voyeur, connoisseur of alternative women’s haircuts. “I was very focused,” says Harmony about the sessions on this tape. Half of this is actual music – guitar leads, choruses, bridges. The other half is gossip, shit talk, slices of Harmony’s reality filtered through shame and conceit, triumph and heartbreak. Says Harmony: “I’m very grateful of the mistake I did, so i can discover day by day, what kind of artist i am.”

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‘Rhizomatic St. Louis Vol. 2 Compilation‘ C67 $7(US)/$10(World)
Second volume of the annually released compilation of Sound Art, Free Improvisation, Electronic & Electroacoustic music from artists currently living and working in the St. Louis area. Featuring: A1 Marble – Blood Orange (Sounds like it could’ve been on a late 70’s Sky Records release) A2 Poison Rat R. – Orbit (Featuring Kenji Siratori) (Japanese cyber punk author reading w/ dark electronics) A3 Byssus – Ampoule (Mysterious soundscapes) A4 Radiant Husk – Apple Uppfle (Odd and alluring tenor sax electroacoustics and field recordings) A5 Darin Gray – Gateway for Phyllis Diller (Mouth Piece Study No. 1) (Extended technique upright bass ambient throb) A6 Mark Sarich – When you are not here Yet you are here; Abschied (Feldman-esque piano study) B7 Eric Hall – The Sight Of Without You (Seasoned Improv tactics twisted into pastoral electronica) B8 John Tamm-Buckle – Titan3 80-300 (Custom Max programming manifested as warped sine wave layers) B9 Wamhoda – Mentally Whipp’d (Swamp Kid gutter techno w/ field recording of party kidz at a discotheque) B10 Burlin Mud – Live @ Momo 12/11(Skarekrau nature-noise B11 Michael Williams – Part of the Whole (Outsider guitar jangle and shadow electronics) B12 Ajay Khanna – Noise Enhancement 9×5 (Conceptual tape hiss embellishment) Pro-duplication and metallic silver imprinting with full color double sided j-cards. Limited edition of 75 posters and cover art by Jeremy “Ghost Ice” Kannapell. Digital download link included. Edition of 150 on chrome tape.

Kevin Harris / N.N.N. Cook split C30 $7(US)/$10(World)
Two nonsectarian pieces of contemporary American electronic music utilizing. a customized eurorack modular synthesizer on the Harris side and computer software on the Cook side. The composition by Mr. Harris was created in response to the composition by Mr. Cook. Side A: Kevin Harris – NI6B^RR [Food Poisoning] {Funding for Disagreement} Side B: N.N.N. Cook – Furuzanfar #568 w/ Sine Qua Non Memories. Pro-duplication and metallic gold imprinting with black and white double sided j-cards. Edition of 100 on chrome tape.

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Keith Fullerton Whitman/Floris Vanhoof split LP
New split 12″ between two modular experimentalists stretching the world map for this split release. While Keith Fullerton Whitman comes with one of his more accessible / danceable piece to date, Floris Vanhoof had full reign to record a dark and hazy drone piece for the flipside. Using purely analog synths, both build very unique although complementary compositions. Keith Fullerton Whitman – you already know him – is an American electronic musician who has recorded albums influenced by many genres, including ambient music, drone, electronic, drill and bass, musique concrète and krautrock. Making music since the 90′, he started recording using his own name in 2001, and most of his work recorded today is under that name. He studied computer music at Berklee College of Music, where he was exposed to modern electronic music composition and synthesis. Whitman has released albums on many labels such as Edition Mego, PAN, Kranky, Root Strata, Planet Mu. Connecting his many worlds, ideas and influences into highly personal pieces, everything Floris Vanhoof put his hands on turned into a highlight. Not only his solo LPs on Ultra Eczema and Kraak, but also an extensive list of stunning performances. In his live shows Vanhoof links new visual ideas to his idiosyncratic musical performances in which homemade synthesizers, exceptional ebay acquisitions and a personal framework are forged into an impressive whole. One of the most versatile and creatively liberated artists in Belgium! This record has been mastered and cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. Pressed on 180g black vinyl and packaged in a 3 colors silkscreened cover printed by Hannah Geise. Edition of 400 copies.

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RC73: BROGAN BENTLEY – ‘MOMENTS EP’ C24
Just in time for a feel good summer, bay area mon Brogan Bentley holds it down with this crucial EP. A flavorful blend of ambient breathers and swelling vigorous flow. Cover Artwork by Casual Sniper/Silent Thunder. Professionally duplicated on type II, chrome cassettes. edition of 100.

RC74: TULUUM SHIMMERING – ‘BEFORE US IS OUR OCEAN’ C90
Back from a flowered grassy knoll hideaway somewhere in the UK, Jake Webster presents us with a new Tuluum sound. Peaceful vocals with a soothing aura. Professionally duplicated on type II, chrome cassettes. edition of 100.

RC75: SUB LIQUID – ‘APEX’ C42
First physical release from Sub Liquid (Graham Pisarek) local from Nevada City! After a by chance encounter, this release became inevitable. Pure, aerial beats sure to keep your head bobbin’. Much more to come, including shows around the northern California area and more new cassette and online releases. All sounds and artwork by Sub Liquid. Professionally duplicated on type II, chrome cassettes. Limited to 100 copies from Rotifer. edition of 200

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CARLTON MELTON – ‘Four Eyes’ 12″ £13.99
Carlton Melton have been releasing some incredible improvised psychedelic jams over the last few years, released through their own Mid To Late label and the great UK label Agitated. So after hanging out with these guys at their show here and being absolutely blown away, we’re pleased to be releasing this prelude to their forthcoming new LP for Agitated later this year. This new four track 30+ minute 12″ EP is dripping with heavy riffs, thunderous drums, gurgling synth psychedelia, and mind altering bass. The Carlton Melton sound lies between drone and space rock entwined with loose jam band improvisation, and they blend it perfectly with a touch of baked stoner rock. The record features special guests Brian McDougall, and John McBain (founding member of the legendary Monster Magnet). McBain also mastered the audio. Limited to 600 copies pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl. 300 copies are on transparent blue vinyl and 300 copies are black. Transparent blue copies will be randomly distributed to shops. We have approximately 100 copies of the coloured vinyl available to pre-order.

HELLVETE – ‘Sint – Denijs’ LP £13.99
Brand new record from Glen Steenkiste, founding member of Silvester Anfang and their more recent incarnation Sylvester Anfang II. Currently Glen is also frequently collaborating with his fellow Anfang member, Ernesto Gonzalez (aka Bear Bones Lay Low) in their free-drone project Gonzalez & Steenkiste. But whilst being active in these projects he still finds time to craft his own music. “Sint-Denijs” is his second solo full length vinyl release following his “De Gek” lp for Kraak Records from 2010, and several great cassette and CDR releases for fantastic labels like Funeral Folk, Sloow Tapes, Audiobot and SicSic Tapes. Since his previous record on Kraak, Steenkiste has been getting more and more interested in sustained tones, foreign melodies and longer compositions. On this new record he draws influences from early Minimalism and old folk music and with the use of harmonium, bowed banjo, electric tampura and analog synth he creates probing intense sounds that try to undo notions of time and place. Steenkiste’s music is like taking an endless shower of sunbeams, warm, comforting and mind-altering. Music that makes time stand still and focuses on shifting details and textures, but massive in sound and presence. This record is pressed in an edition of 500 copies on 180 gram virgin vinyl including a digital download coupon. 200 copies are on ultra clear vinyl, 300 on black. Ultra clear copies will be randomly distributed to shops. We have approximately 100 copies of the coloured vinyl available to pre-order.

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THE PERVERTS – ‘In Heaven’ C30 £3.5
“…like some old hidden memory that would rather be forgotten ‘the perverts’ gather beneath the concrete pavements of polite society awaiting to unleash themselves upon an unsuspecting public.” The Pervert’s debut, Bacon Handbag, was 18 FuzzULike songs about Mom and Dad. The new album In Heaven is the sound of a changed band, out are The Stooge’s style fuzz, Melt Banana yelps and in are post punk guitar lines, weird vocal synths and a bit of actual singing. 14 weirdo post-punk tracks from the Bristol duo, spread across a snot-green C30 cassette with ‘colour it yourself’ front cover and full colour inside cover art. Limited edition of 30 copies. Includes digital download.

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NNA059: Nate Young/Regression – ‘Blinding Confusion’ LP
Over the past few years, iconic noise artist Nate Young has been carefully crafting his own signature solo sound, as evidenced through his progressive recordings and performances with American experimental music staples such as Wolf Eyes, Stare Case, Demons, and Moon Pool & Dead Band. After the completion of his recent Regression trilogy (part one being the self-titled disc on Ideal in 2009; 2011’s “Stay Asleep” LP on NNA as part two; and part three “Other Days” on Japanese label Rockatansky in 2012), Young begins a new chapter in his personal sound world, and it is perhaps his biggest leap forward musically thus far. Regression “Blinding Confusion” enters a new era, retaining the techniques and studies from his previous work and raising them to new levels. Intense compositional building and structure seep through each track, traversing new ground melodically while still upholding Nate’s patented over-bearing weight of dread and slow-burning darkness at all the right moments. Deep, percussive brutality and pulsing neurosis mesh with somber burial hymns, held together by Young’s technical prowess and mastery of his chosen gear. Each frequency is given it’s own unique role and characteristic voice, deeply chilled by the arid space of decay via tape manipulation/disintegration, howling its way through the grooves of the record like a cold wind of dead space that billows throughout, unrelenting. Atonal, morphing, and modulating bass lines pulse and plod their way through, like the unseen presence of the undead ascending a creaking stairway, leading upwards toward a nebulous void. This establishes a truly horrific atmosphere while honoring primitive technology, refined with a thick dose of originality. Self-recorded at Burning Log Studios and M.U.G. in Young’s native zone of Detroit, Michigan, combined with high definition mastering and cutting by Lupo at Calyx in Berlin, Germany, make “Blinding Confusion” the defining artifact by one of the United States’ most talented voices in noise and experimental music.

NNA060: Ryan Power – ‘Identity Picks’ LP
Over the last decade, Burlington, Vermont songwriter/producer Ryan Power has tirelessly embarked on the quest to write the definitive song-based music, full of accuracy, refinement, deliberation, and perfectly-placed shifting harmonic puzzles. Ryan’s latest “Identity Picks” for NNA Tapes is an eight track song cycle that dances through lush jazz pads, aquatic smooth jazz funk styles, and the sensitive side of progressive rock. These songs are long, shifting compositions, slowly unfolding and patiently circulating within a refreshing variety of stylistic modes. Throughout these colorful arrangements, Ryan creates a polyphonic choir with his own voice, adding symphonic embellishments to his calculated and catchy hooks. Ryan addresses contemporary issues in his subject matter, including the music industry, lust, self-evaluation, identity crisis, and the contemplation and acceptance of a world gone mad. Unlike the phobic, neurotic head spaces of 2012’s “I Don’t Want to Die”, “Identity Picks” is a life assessment, a meditation on putting yourself out there and the struggle to maintain integrity under scrutiny. The production is astonishingly hi-fi – recorded, engineered, mixed and performed entirely by Power himself, aside from the occasional guest appearance from members of his newly-formed live band. According to the artist, the songs on this album were written “to help give my life meaning” through the purity and timelessness of classic, addictive songwriting. In an era of technological A.D.D. and fleeting vogue, “Identity Picks” is a record to listen to over and over again, finding new meaning and appreciation with each revolution.

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